Six Union Bigwigs Condemning One Percent Earned $2.3M in 2015

Total compensation for six labor leaders puts each in top tax bracket

The six union leaders who took the stage on Monday at the Democratic National Convention to condemn the richest one percent took home nearly $2.3 million in total compensation in 2015, according to federal labor filings.

Assembled delegates heard from the presidents of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) on the first night of the convention. Each labor leader earned well over six figures, salaries paid for by the dues of their hardworking members.

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Randi Weingarten

Randi Weingarten / AP

President, American Federation of Teachers
2015 Total Compensation: $497,118
Speech Highlight: "[Hillary Clinton] will reset education policies that focus on creating creativity and critical thinking, not too much testing. And she will make public universities free for working families. A stark contrast from Donald Trump's for-profit scam."

Lily Eskelsen

Lily Eskelsen Garcia / AP

President, National Education Association
2015 Compensation: $416,633
Speech Highlight: "My mom says if you cannot say something nice about somebody, you should at least make it funny. I cannot make this funny."

Lee Saunders

Lee Saunders / AP

President, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
2015 Total Compensation: $351,939
Speech Highlight: "How can you be a strong worker when you are famous for the catchphrase, you are fired?"

Richard Trumka

Richard Trumka / AP

President, AFL-CIO
2015 Compensation: $304,121
Speech Highlight: "[Hillary Clinton] will stand up to Wall Street and fight to finally secure equal pay for equal work—it will pay—equal pay for it to work."

Mary Kay Henry

Mary Kay Henry / AP

President, Service Employees International Union
2015 Compensation: $296,549
Speech Highlight: "Hillary Clinton knows that is wrong and that is why Hillary Clinton is ready to raise wages for homecare providers and childcare providers and ensure they have a strong voice in quality care linked to winning racial justice, environmental justice, and immigrant justice."

Bill McMorris is a staff writer for the Washington Free Beacon. He joins the Beacon from the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, where he was managing editor of Old Dominion Watchdog. He was a 2010 Robert Novak Fellow with the Phillips Foundation, where he studied state pension shortfalls. His work has been featured on CNN, Fox News, The Economist, Colbert Report, and numerous print publications and radio stations. He lives in Alexandria, Va, with his wife and three daughters. His Twitter handle is @FBillMcMorris. His email address is mcmorris@freebeacon.com.